'livistona' originates from English/Scottish, specifically the surname 'Livingston' (also written 'Livistone'), where the surname originally denoted a place-name meaning 'Living's town' (a settlement name).

'livistona' was formed in botanical Latin as a Latinized genus name derived from the surname 'Livingston/Livistone' (used by early botanists in the 18th–19th century) and became established in botanical nomenclature as the genus name 'Livistona'.

Initially the element was a commemorative surname (honouring a person or family); over time it has been fixed as the scientific name for this group of fan palms and is used taxonomically rather than as a personal name.